Tuesday, 15 September 2009The Centre – left coalition, in power for 16 years, seems to have been elected once again in Norway’s elections. With 99.9 percent of the votes counted, the left leaning government, led by Labor Party Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, seems to have been guaranteed another term.
The success of the three-party coalition has managed to become the first government to win the elections after 16 years in office in the oil rich country.
Elections have not been a piece of cake for Stoltenberg’s bloc. The Norwegian system requires a total of 85 seats to form the government. PM Jens Stoltenberg's Labor led coalition has taken 86 of the 169 seats where as the centre-right opposition parties have 83.
"We have campaigned and we have won the election. It looks like the red-green government can stay in power," Stoltenberg said after the elections.
Contrary to the conservative campaign on cutting tax rates and privatization proposals, Stoltenberg’s government was insistent on the smooth functioning of welfare mechanisms, i.e. healthcare, education and care for the elderly.
The worldwide economic crisis has had little influence in Norway. The country has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe.
A tighter immigration law and dealing with the ‘Islamisation’ of the country were on the campaign agenda for the major opposition, the Progress Party. The campaign agenda led to controversy in Norway with more than 10% of foreign originated residents.
Voter turnout in the oil-rich nation decreased nearly 9 % when compared with the last elections in 2005.
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Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Nermin Aydemir (JTW)
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